Coin-delivering machine.



B. C. HOEFER.

COIN DELIVERING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4.19M.

Patented June 4, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

B, C. HOEFER. COIN DELIVERING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4.1914.

1 ,26 8 ,462. Patented June 4, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

15 x i V I r I I I '1 I I w I 8 11 38 m 0 I 70 o O 37 a 4 Wj/finesses: Inventor {a Ben amin C! Hoe an y MM Mwfi Attorrwys- B. C. HOEFER.

COIN DLIVERING MACHINE. APPLICATION mzo JUNE '4. I914.

1,268,462, Patented June 4, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Witnesses fnveraZfofi 74444 y'ambn 0. [159 71- B. C. HOEFER.

COIN DELIVERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4,19l4.

1 ,268,4=62. Patented June 4, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4- 6'3 5 5 61 46w Vfi/bH/esses: Inward/07 {a Berjwmn OCHoe er MAO WM zb tofinggs BIHJ'LHIN O. HOEFEB, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

COIN-DELIVERING MACHINE.

Application filed June 4, 1914. Serial No. 842,883.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN 0. Homer,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas Cit in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Coin-DeliveringMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to coin delivering machines, that is, devices of that class wherein selective ejecting mechanism is associated with a magazine for coins or other tokens.

My present invention may be considered as an improvement over the machines described in my copending applications, Serial No. 629,593, filed Ma 26, 1911, and Serial No. 686,062, filed arch 25, 1912, which have resulted in Patents Nos. 1,105,516 and 1,105,517 respectiveley both granted July 28th, 1914.

My present invention contains special features over those of my previous patents, which may be tabulated as follows:

(1) The. number and arrangement of keys;

(2) The lock release; and

(3) The interlocking arrangement.

In the machines of my previous patents, referred to, about 100 keys were employed and by these machines it is possible to secure the change up to any amount by depressing the 'key indicating that amount. In that type of machine, only comparatively few of the keys are given a great deal of usage and my present Invention is concerned with an improved keyboard and related arrangement thereof, whereby the number of keys is greatly reduced and the entire machine is correspondingly simplified. While with my present machine, as with my former machines, it is possible to secure any desired amount of change quickly, accurately and readily, in my present machine certain odd amounts are selected by depressing two keys at the same time. I have ound by experience that one may become proficient in handlin my present machlne more quickly thanmy 'ormer machine, since there are fewer keys to choose from, even thou h more than one in some instances have pressed in order to secure, the desired Specification of Letters Patent.

machine, the casing being Patented June 41, 1918.

amount. Never more than two keys are required to be pressed at the same time.

It is the theory, therefore, of my new keyboard that I provide a set of keys rang-' ing from 1 to 10 in units, andfrom 5 to 100 in multiples of 5, special keys being provided to secure a dollar in change, or a. halfdollari'n change; or ten cents in change. Naturally, the interior mechanism is very much simplified and the number of parts greatly reduced and, not only is the efciency of the machine not impaired, but it is really improved.

The lock release may be briefly described by stating that automatic means is provided for locking the ejectors for individual magazines When they have been emptied so'that at no time may a key be depressed without securing the full amount of change. When, however, the machine is to be emptied, it is desired that this lock shall not be operative, since the ejectors are then simply feeders and are not counted on as change selectors and it is therefore, desired that under these circumstances the lock be released. For such or analogous conditions, I have, therefore, provided means to this end.

The interlock to which I have referred comprises an arrangement for preventing the actuation of a second key before an initially operated key, or two keys, having completed its or their stroke, thus preventing any miscalculation if items of change were to be added.

I shall continue the description of my invention by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a frontelevational view of my removed to reveal the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the keyboard;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view;

Fig. 5 is an isolated rear view of some of the mechanism; and

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are various views of the interlocking mechanism.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will beseen that I provide a main casing 10, which has the forwardly projecting part 11, the top of which forms the keyboard. The entire machine preferably is set on standards 12, 12. The front of the machine tilts backward slightly, as lainly shown in Fig. 3, and at the top and ront thereof the coin to accommodate coins of different denomili nations. The particular machine from which made is adapted for the drawings are but it will appear that United States money,

7 coins of any kind ma. be used. This magamagazine.

zine is provided at t e rear with a pair of lugs, 15, 15, which are drilled for the reception of a standard 16 extending upwardly from the top of the casing to support the magazine, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the magazine 13 is provided with a hottom17, upon which the columns of coins rest the magazine bein so formed that the lowermost coin or come, as will be pointed out presently, may be ejected therefrom and thrown downwardly into a hopper 18, disposed below the ma azine and mounted upon forwardly exten ing posts 19, 19 secured upon the front of the casing 10. The hopper directs the coins down to an opening in the bottom thereof, illustrated in dotted lines at 20 and this opening is normally covered by a closure 21 hel in normal position by gravity and 'ada ted to be lifted by engaglng the under si e of the finger piece 22. It will be noted that this finger piece and the hopper are directly above the keyboard and very close to it, so that great convenience of operation of the machine is obtained. After manipulating one or two of the keys, it reuires but a turn of the hand to engage the nger piece 22 and raise the closure 21 to allow 1; e coins to drop out of the hopper.

As described in my above mentione patents, the e'ector mechanism com rises a plurality o U-shaped bars 23, w ich are nested one within the other and which are all mounted upon a common shaft 24 mounted in the end plates of the casing, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. There is one of these U-shaped bars provided for each of the channels, for each of which an ejector is provided. The horizontally extendi part of each of the bars 23 has secur thereto a bracket .24, which leads upwardly to a position in back of the lower end of the At 25, on each of these bars, an ejector 26 is pivotally mounted. This ejector is in the form of an arm extending forwardly from the pivot 25 and through a slot 27 in the casing and a slot 28 in the lower end of the magazine, as shown in F' 4. This lever is counterbalanced and is ield in its uppermost position by means of the other arm thereof, which is wei hted, as indicated at 29. The ejector is a apted and arranged to engage the lowermost coins, or in two instances the two lowermost coins, and it will be seen that it is necessary to carefully adjust the height at which the front end of the e'ector rests in its normal position. This is one by means of an adjusting screw 30, which is mounted in a bracket 31, secured to the inside of the casing a lock nut 32 being provided to hold the adjusti screw in any adjusted position. One 0 these adjusti screws is provided for each ejector and t e front arm of the ejector is normally held against the under side of its screw by means of the weight on the other arm.

Mounted upon each of the ivots 25 is a lock arm '33, which extends forwardly through the slots 27 and 28 and extends into the lower end of the corresponding compartment of the magazine, and extends upwardly above the bottom, as illustrated in Fig. 4, when that particular channel is empty and is held down flush with the top of the bottom when the channel is properly filled. The rear part of the member 33 is providedwith a weight 34, which holds the forward end of this locking arm in its up-' ermost position. It will be noted that this ocking arm is provided with a shoulder or hook 35, which, when the parts are in their normal position and when the corresponding channel is empty, engages with a shoulder 36 on the inslde of the casing. It will be clear that when the locking arm 33 is depressed, the hook 35 will be disengaged from the shoulder 36 and the locking arm, with the e'ector, is permitted to be moved forwardly means which will be described presently. ach of the keys 37 is mounted upon the shaft 24 and extends forwardly and upwardly throu h appro riate slots in the casing, and on t e outsici; is provided with a finger piece 38. Int ral with each key is a rearwardly exten 'ng plate 39, upon the forward end of which the code is formed, that is, the forward 'ed of each of the plates 39 is so formed, as 1 ustrated in Fig. 4, as to select and engages. particular bar 23, or more than one of them, so that the corresponding ejectors for the neces sary coins to make up the amount which is indicated by the related key may be actuated by the downward pressure on the key. Thus the foremost plate, 4, selects and is adapted to engage the fourth and fifth U-bars, and these articular U-bars are arran ed to throw a ve cent piece out of each 0 the five cent coin containers. Thus, the key which is related with this articular plate is the key a of Fig. 2, whic has the indication 10 thereon. It

the coiresponding' U-bars Wlll be carrie forwar ly and wlth them the proper ejectors and locking bars. If an of the selected channels are not proper y filled, the locking bar will be engaging the shdulder which has been referred to and it will be will be seen that when any key is depressedi illustrated in Fig.

impossible to depress the key and the warning is thereby given to the operator. The forward movement of the U-bars is limited by the en agement of the shoulder 40 with the cross ar 41, illustrated in 4.

It will be noted that each of t e locking bars 83 is provided with a hump. 41, above which and in line with which a rectangular bar 42 is pivotally mounted. The trunnions 43 for this bar are mounted in the side plates of the casin and one of them is provided with a ban e 44 so that, if it is desired to release the lockin mechanism, this-can be done by moving t e handle in the direction of the arrow as. This will throw the bar 42 into the osition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 an will force down the locking bars to a point where the hooks thereon will be disen aged from the shoulders 36.

A suit 45 extends from end to end in the back part of the casing 10, and this shaft has hanging thereon at each end two quadrant members 46, 46. The shaft itself is mounted between two frame piece 47, 47, which are mounted by means of posts 48, 48 upon the inside of the casing. T'hese quadrants form art of the locking mechanism which has een referred to. Attached to each of the quadrant members 46 is another quadrant 49 and, since the quadrant set on one side is like that on the other, I shall refer to but one of them. The quadrant 49 is provided with a circular slot 50, in ,which a pin 51 engages. This in is mounted upon a bracket 52, secure to a U-shaped bar 53, mounted upon a pivot member 54. This bar is adapted to be engaged by each of the plates 39, when it is actuated by its key, so that the bracket 52 and its pin 51 will be swung around the pivot 54. This will bring the uadrants 46 and 49 forwardly, as illustrate in Rig. 9. Each of the quadrants is. provided with ratchet teeth on the circular portion thereof and the teeth on one quadrant extend in an opposite direction from the teeth on the other quadrant. The teeth on the quadrant .49 are adapted to be enga ed lay a pawl 55 mounted on the pivot memqier 4, this pawl being) adapted to be held in engaging position y means of a weight 56. e teeth-on the quadrant member 46 are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 57, which is mounted upon a ivot member 58 and isadapted to be held in enfiiging position by means of a weight 59. e normal position of these parts is with the pawl 55 engaging its teeth while the pawl 57 is out of engagement with its teeth. With this condition of parts, the depression of a key is possible, since the ratchet teeth. 49' on the quadrant member 49 may slide over their pawl, while the other ppwl is out of en'ga owever, when the y has completed its stroke, and not till then, a pin 60 on the ant with its teeth.

quadrant 49 engages a pawl thrower 6 pivoted at 62, and moves it in the direction of the arrow 3 as indicated in Fig. 9. This action causes the pawl thrower 61 to engage a pin 63 on the pawl 55 and to disengage it from the teeth 4 At the same time, a pin 64 on the quadrant member 46 en ges another awl thrower 65, pivoted at 6, which pawl t rower has been holding the pawl 57 out of engagement with the teeth 46 on the quadrant member 46, by its engagement with a film 67 on the pawl 57, and moves it out of t 's holding engagement so as to permit the awl- 57 to move into operative relation wit the teeth 46'. Thus, the arts are so all m position for the return st'ro e of the key, which takes place upon the release thereof under the influence of gravity. It is thus necessary in each instance to complete the entire stroke of the key before it may be moved back.

It will be noted that a bar 68 extends between the two uadrant members 49 and it will be noted a so that, when the quadrant member is drawn forward by the actuation of one key, or two keys, this bar will be thrown into position so that, if it is attem ted to actuate any other key, or if any otd er key is ressed accidentally, this false actuation W1 be prevented, because the rear extension 39 on each of the plates 39 will engage with the under side of this bar 68. It is, therefore, impossible, after a key has been actuated, or two ke s substantially simultaneous] actuated, fbr another .key to be actua later in the stroke, and false operation is thereby efiectively prevented.

A manual release member 69 15 mounted u on a shaft 70, which has the handle 71on t e outside of the casing. This release member engages with the pawl 55, which is normally in engagement with its teeth, to release it from this engagement, if such arelease is desired. v i i I shall now refer to thekeyboapd, which is illustrated in Fig. 2. In order to facilitate key selections, I- use vari-colored press buttons, and it will be noted that I provide unit numbers from one to ten in red and numbers from five to ninet -five in multiples of five in white,- and a four buttons in blue. The blue button which is marked 100 calls for one dollar in change, and the blue button which is marked 50 calls for fifty cents in cha while the blue button which is marked 5 calls for twenty-' which I provi e in this way is a very efi- 186 cient one and is extremely simple, since onl thirt -three keys and levers are employ By t is means, not only is any amount from one cent to one dollar secured in the least number of coins, but special arran ments,

such as ten cents in two nickels, or ve cents in pennies, or one dollar in change, or fifty cents in change or twenty-five cents inchange, may be secured. It is necessary to press only one button at a time unless some amount other than a multiple of five is desired and, in that case, the operation is to press one of the white buttons in thesecond row and also one of the buttons in the first row, preferably simultaneously. Thus, if twent -three cents were deemed, one would press the twenty cent key and the three cent key at the'same time; for fortyeightcents, one would press the forty cent 80 key and the eight cent key, at the same time,

etc.

The keyboard is therefore especially simple =in places of business where nmes are nFt needed and is efi'ective'ly simple even 26 thou pennies are needed, since the keys which are most used are not distributed 'throu'ghout a maze of keys which are used very infrequently.

It will be clear .that the interlocking fea- Qll ture and the lock release feature may' be omitted without interfering with the useful features of the s' ecific form of keyboard and I have, there ore, drawn the appended claims so as to cover the-keyboard whether ll! the interlocking feature and the release feature are employed or not.

' I claim: w V

1. In a change making machine a plurality of coin manes, an ejector for each 40 magazine, akey I rd containing keys each .for operating one or more of, said ejector-s, means for locking any of said ejectors when the corresponding magazine is substantially empty and means for said 48 means, there being two keys or-each coin denomination, one for ejecting a coin of such denomination and one for e'ecting the amount of the denomination in ange.

2. In a change-making machine, a plurality of coin magazines, an ejector for each 50 magazine, means for operatin said ejectors, means for locking any of said ejectors when the corresponding magazine is substantially em ty, and means for releasing said lock sai means having a handle exterior of said machine.

8. In a change-making machine, a plural ity of coin magazines, an ejector for each magazine, means for operating said ejectors automatic devices for locking any of sai ejectors when the eorrespondin magazine is not filled, and a bar for simu' taneously re- 1e all of said devices. I

4; In a changednaking machine, a plurality of coin magazines, a reciprocating ejector It for each magazine, a lockmg bar moving with said ejector and extending into thebottom of the magazine, a hook on said bar adapted to engage a stationary part to prevent movement of the bar and e'ector, the wei ht of the coins holding said ar out of sai engagement, and a member normally .out of engagement with said bar for moving said bar out of its lockizi position.

5. In a change-makingm me, a plurality of coin magazines, a reciprocating ejector for each magazine, a lockln ,bar moving with said ejector and.exten ing into the bottom of the magazine, a hook on said bar adapted to engage a stationary part to pre- -vent movement of the bar and e'ector, the weight of the coins holding ,said at out of said engagement, and a rotatable releasing nod {for moving said bar out of its locking position. v

In witness whereof, "I' hereunto subscribe my name this 29th; dayof May, 1)., 1914. I BENJAMIN o. HOEFER.

Lrsnm' WI'Fmoxn,

Correction In Letters Patent No. 1,268,462.

It is= hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,268,462, gruited June 4, 1918, u pon the application of Benjax nin C. Hoefel of Kansas City, Missouri, for an improvemont in Coin-Delivering Machines," an error appears in the prirtted specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4,1ino 54,olaim 2, after the word means insert the words independent of tha coins; 'and that the said Letters Patent should beread with this correction therein that the puma may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Q Signed-and sealed this 9th day of m A. 1)., 1918.

m w. H. CLAY,

Acting Oommiss-iomf of Patents. Cl. 133-4. 

